Portable computers are commonly used in a variety of different industries including for example, airports, automotive, food chain/cold chain, field service, government, passenger management, ports and container yards, postal and courier, retail and warehouse/distribution. The portable computers may be handheld computers that allow a user to perform a variety of tasks, such as bar code scanning, image capture, data input as well as to receive and review information.
When used in industry, a company or organization will typically employ tens, hundreds, thousands or more portable computers. In order to ensure that the portable computers are able to function continually, or for a long period of time, the portable computers use replaceable, and rechargeable batteries. A company or organization will typically have one or more spare replaceable batteries for each portable computer in order to ensure that a charged battery is always available.
Portable computers use an operating system (OS) in order to provide support for executing applications and other functions, as well as providing a user interface (UI). The user interface typically includes a graphical representation of the amount of power remaining of the battery. While the batter power indication provided by the UI is useful in gauging the amount of operating time remaining, it is not helpful in determining a state of a battery until the device is turned on and the OS is running, which can take a relatively long time.
While waiting for the OS to be running in order to determine the amount of power remaining in the battery is undesirable, other options exist. For example, chargers used to recharge the batteries may include various light emitting diodes (LEDs) or other indicators for indicating when the battery is fully charged. However, in order to function, the battery must be in the charger for a period of time. Additionally or alternatively, batteries may include a small display and accompanying electronics for displaying the state of the battery on the battery itself. However these systems can add to the cost and complexity of the battery. Furthermore the display and electronics may become broken or damaged easily.
Therefore there is a need for an improved system and method for displaying battery information for portable computers.